Ten Sports ties up with NBC Universal to launch Tensports.com

The portal will host live streams of cricket matches and allow users to watch the archived video content uploaded by Ten Sports

Ten Sports has tied up with the US based NBC Universal Digital Solutions (NBCUDS) to develop and launch a sports portal named Tensports.com.

The portal will be owned and operated by NBCUDS and will offer live streaming of cricket matches. For instance, it will stream live the upcoming Compaq Cup, the triangular cricket series between India, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, on the web from September 8. Video archives of previously held cricket matches, broadcasted on Ten Sports, will also be made available on the portal.

In an official communiqué, Mark Denton, senior vice-president, revenue and digital media, Ten Sports, says, "We are very excited to partner with NBC Universal and will work hard to leverage the Ten Sports brand and our exclusive rights to deliver content in new and dynamic ways to our growing audience base, both in the sub-continent and around the world."

NBCUDS will also syndicate some of the video content to other websites.

The sports channel will provide access to live streaming and archived video content for free. However, it will use online video advertising to monetise the video content. For the same, NBCUDS has appointed Vdopia, an online video advertising company, as an exclusive digital ad sales partner.

Vdopia will represent Tensports.com, get advertisers and provide online video advertising technology to the portal.

Speaking to afaqs!, Saurabh Bhatia, chief business officer, Vdopia, says, "Both live streaming and archived video content will be monetised."

Bhatia adds that TV commercials aired during the commercial breaks in the live cricket matches on the Ten Sports channel will not be used or broadcasted during the live streaming of matches on the portal. Instead, Vdopia will air separate TVCs and rope in separate advertisers for the commercial breaks during webcasts. Archived video clips will be monetised through pre-roll, mid-roll and post-roll video ads.

Apart from the cricket video content, Ten Sports and NBCUDS also plan to expand the content offerings to include other sports in the future.